Client Reviews

We treat our clients really, really well.  You can expect prompt responses, clear direction, positive energy, and most importantly, to feel much calmer after every interaction with us as we have things under control.

"I have worked with Ara for three years and over that time she has helped Minted with three National Stationery Show booths, two ALTitude Design Summit lounge displays, five high-profile baby showers and one other media event. I could not recommend her more highly. She is the definition of professionalism, ingenuity and efficiency. Events and conferences have hundreds of moving parts and Ara brings great organization and patience to each of the components. She constantly helps keep me both organized and on-deadline. Ara also has a very strong aesthetic sense and has a Midas touch. We have always been completely pleased with how everything she has orchestrated for us looks and functions. I also appreciate her ability to work on a budget. Ara manages to find very talented and professional help and manpower and I have enjoyed everyone on her team. Please feel free to reach out to me personally with any additional questions: Natasha@nmlpr.com"  -  Natasha Lawler, Corporate Client

"I don't even know where to begin. Ara was extremely amazing from the moment I made contact with her. She is extremely professional yet so easy going and casual and really makes you feel comfortable. I was organising a destination wedding and as most bride to be can imagine - you really just don't know what to expect. I always find it very hard and awkward to say no but Ara was very understanding and was never forceful with anything that I didn't want. She went above and beyond my expectations and after the big day you realise just how much work and effort Ara and her team really puts into their job. The way the wedding turned out would have not been the same without Ara and her team. If you are considering Rock Paper Scissors - don't hesitate any longer. Just email Ara and you'll be glad that you did!"  - Jan Le

"Rock Paper Scissors has perfected the delightful combination of reliability and creativity.  Ara, Alice and team are superb — from details-oriented planning to timely communication to thoughtful "surprise and delight" elements to polished execution, events are a breeze in their capable hands.  Be it personal or corporate, small or large, traditional or unconventional, Rock Paper Scissors is my trusted go-to agency for creative events."   -     Meg Smith, Corporate Client

"We worked with Ara to conceptualize and execute the event design for our wedding and I cannot say enough wonderful things about her!! She was absolutely the best investment we could have made in regards to our ‘Big Day’. Planning the details of a wedding can definitely be a daunting and overwhelming experience, especially when it comes to picking an overall theme and narrowing down the details to create your ultimate vision. From our initial meeting with Ara, we knew we wanted to work with her. She took the time to understand exactly what we wanted and didn’t want for the evening, as well as to really understand us as not only a couple, but as individuals as well. She worked with us on choosing every single design detail – the color scheme, the flowers, the table cloths, the wedding favors, the menus, the lighting, the invitations and beyond. She helped us create a budget we were comfortable with and took the time to ensure that we got the most out of every dollar we were spending. The result was not only cost effective, but truly the most beautiful, unique and elegant evening imaginable. Throughout the entire process Ara was an absolute pleasure to work with from the initial meeting down to the day of the event. Not only is she incredibly talented, she is also patient, responsive and a true professional. I would highly recommend Rock Paper Scissors to any couple, at any budget, looking for someone to turn their dream wedding into a reality. Thank you Ara!!"  -  Chrissy DeSanctis

"Before meeting with Ara for the first time, I was unsure about whether I wanted to work with a professional on planning our wedding. I wanted the day to be uniquely ours, and was worried that hiring someone might mean having a wedding that reflected their taste, not ours. On top of that, it seemed like a really fancy thing to do, and I wasn’t sure spending money on a designer was a good use of our budget. At the same time, I had never planned a wedding before, and had no idea where to start. Almost as soon as we started talking to Ara, I knew that working with her was a must. She is not exaggerating when she says how much she values getting to know you as a couple, and incorporating that information into her design. She was kind, good-humored, and truly interested. More importantly, she is extremely knowledgeable about her field. Ara connected us with amazing vendors, and guided us through the process of picking the perfect ones for us, taking into account our personalities, styles, and budget. Although the entire experience was great, the referrals alone made hiring RPS 100% worth it. I didn’t have to worry about the other people (florist, photographer, make up artist…) we were hiring because Ara had made the recommendation. The result of hiring RPS to design our wedding was an absolutely perfect day for us. We didn’t have to worry about the details, because Ara had taken care of everything. I knew that she knew what we wanted, and had total confidence in her and her team to make that happen. One thing that I think stands out about Ara is that she is really respectful of your taste, even when it differs from hers. Although I very much value her opinion, I never felt like she was trying to convince me to do what she thought was best. I would recommend RPS to anyone planning an important event. My future sister-in-law, who saw first hand the quality of work that Ara provided, cant wait to hire her for her wedding."   -  Anna Remeult

"Rock Paper Scissors Events made our wedding beautiful. Paul, Alice and Ara listened to our story and learned about us to capture an concept- that was us- where every detail of the day was well thought out and executed. Christina was a blessing to us as she helped plan our wedding in the months leading up to the event. She helped create a weekly schedule for us to accomplish little things along the way so we never felt overwhelmed or rushed. We are forever grateful for the wonderful day the team put together. Months later we are still hearing praise from our guests."  -  Meredith Wharton

"Ara is amazing! I was a bride that had no idea what I wanted, but at the same time had ideas about what I thought I wanted. Ara was patient with me and helped us design a one of a kind Chuppah and total wedding look. Ara and her team went above and beyond during our entire period contracted and even after. All the vendors she recommended were spot on and amazing. I have heard nothing but amazing comments regarding my wedding. I would recommend her and her services to anyone from the smallest to the largest event. I want to have another reason the throw a party just to hire and work with Ara again! Her overall style and design concept was gorgeous and I know our wedding will stand the test of time for myself, husband and all who attended the event!"  -  Maggie Dunlap

"My husband and I could not have made a better choice for floral design and decor than Ara. Not only did she do a spectacularly beautiful job the day of, she was such a joy to work with. She worked collaboratively with us to design our big day down to the smallest detail, and provided such helpful and professional suggestions. She is talented, flexible, and provided a stress-free day of aesthetic joy. I would recommend her business to anyone getting married! The best part about her floral work was our ability to take home our succulent centerpieces at the end of the night and give them away to our guests for mementos. She's the absolute best!"  -  Liz Casey

"For over a year, Rock Paper Scissors has been designing, executing and taking our events to the next level. In 2014, Rock Paper Scissors created six on-brand, beautiful and flawless events for my company and is already developing several others for 2015. From event ideation to venue research to vendor resource management to building a theme throughout an entire event, Ara, Alice and their team are outstanding and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Rock Paper Scissors for executing an event for 50, a corporate event for 200 or a wedding for 300; any event will be magical and perfectly executed."   -  Traci Cappiello, Corporate Client

"Working with Rock Paper Scissors on my 210-guest wedding at The Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn was a wonderful experience. I could not recommend them more highly! I initially hired Ara for hourly consulting – with a background of my own in architecture and design, and wanting to keep budget down, I thought that all I would need is a little bit of help. I worked with her in this capacity for a few months and it was great. She was so receptive to my existing ideas and vision, and from her vast experience, was able to offer great suggestions and ideas of her own. A few months before the wedding, I had become so overwhelmed by everything else that I had to do, that I asked Ara if she would be able to take on a full decorative consultant role. I knew that the design for my wedding would be in great hands! From start to finish, working with Ara was such a pleasure. Her calm demeanor throughout the whole process always put me at ease, and even when we hit a tiny bump in the road when the calligrapher I had selected wasn’t able to complete my menu design in time to be printed, Ara came up with a great solution and everything turned out perfectly. Every detail of my wedding was just as I imagined, and I have Ara to thank for pulling it all together so beautifully. I also worked with Christina through Rock Paper Scissor’s Day-of Planning Service and had a great experience with her as well. We began working together a couple of weeks before the wedding, and she was so organized and professional throughout, even taking the time to go over last minute details with me at midnight two days before the wedding. Between her and Ara, I didn’t have to worry about a thing on my big day!"  -  Vanessa Beloyianis, 

"Christina and the team from Rock Paper Scissors were absolutely fantastic. We hired them as a "day of" coordinator for our wedding but they were really more of a "three weeks before" coordinator. Christina make a spreadsheet of every task we had to complete before the big day and updated it constantly. She communicated with all the vendors and everyone really liked working with her. The one thing I simply must point out is that when Christina realized some of the logistics were a bit more complex than she had originally anticipated, she brought in an additional assistant beyond what we had contracted for out of her own pocket in order to assure that the wedding went off without a hitch. You don't get that kind of commitment to the job and selflessness with most event planners!! Can't recommend her and RPS highly enough!" -  Helena Wolin

"I've worked with Ara and the Rock, Paper Scissors team in both professional and personal settings and it has always been an absolutely positive experience.  I am continually impressed with Ara's creativity, responsiveness, and ability to deliver under pressure.  Even in the most challenging and stressful situations, what I have really noticed about Ara is that she always has a smile on her face and remains calm, which is incredibly helpful to any bride to be!   Ara's vision has made my events (from my own wedding to industry parties) incredibly unique and special. She comes up with ideas I've never seen before and executes them in a remarkable way.  Ara has become my first call for any event or photo shoot I have!"  -  Gabriella Risatti, Gabriella New York Corporate and Wedding Client

"Ara transformed our personal experiences and story into our dream wedding. Her genuine interest to “our story” and event planning expertise truly made our wedding that much memorable and special. Ara is very professional from the planning to the execution and fun personified. The fun factor is as important as all other attributes when considering an event planner because she made every visit, every call that much more exciting. On the organization and coordination front, she was outstanding in every regard. From the outset, Ara inspired the utmost confidence. It was very easy to trust that she was handling the month-of details – from getting our final count to our venue to setting out our favors and giving us checklists, timelines and the getting-ready schedules, she took care of everything. As a result, we were able to sit back and enjoy our special day itself. Simply put, Ara is exceptional. Thank you." -  Raquel Fernandez

"I called Ara up as we got closer to the wedding because I realized there were some things I could not do myself, nor did I trust anyone else to do them. I had a strong vision for the design I wanted on the day of my wedding. But I could not be there to execute it. What to do? Ara came through. She styled the venue on the day of. She worked so well with my florist. The table card set up was exactly what I dreamed--the table covered with beautiful orchids and birch vases. The cards were placed on japanese grass mats and looked very clean and designy. The dinner tables were set up flawlessly, with a real attention to the "guest experience." As my husband said after our wedding, if Ara had not been there, I probably would have been so worried about what the venue looked like that I might not have been able to let go and enjoy the day. I think at first he wasn't sure why I needed an on site designer. Now he knows that it made me more relaxed, and that is exactly what he wanted too. Ara is a true professional with an easy going personality who gets things done beautifully. Having her there on the day of your wedding will surely prevent any worry wrinkles!"  -  Ingrid Ramos

"Hiring Ara was the smartest decision we made throughout our entire wedding planning process. She is thorough, knowledgeable, and creative. Ara is the perfect blend of a designer and project manager. She paid attention to every detail and often remembered items or ideas that were discussed and we had forgotten. Throughout the entire process my husband and I became friends with Ara and were honored to have her as a guest after her duties were fulfilled. Our wedding guest raved about her work and awesome, fun personality! I wish we could get remarried every year so that our could create more magical experiences for us!"  -  Megan Pearson

"Ara is amazing. Probably the best, friendliest and most reasonable vendor I worked with. She made our big day gorgeous, easy and fun. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone."  -  Cornelia Griggs

"Ara was our event designer for our wedding in February 2013 at Tribeca Rooftop. We met with her after struggling for months with florists and a design concept. When we met with Ara I knew right away that we had to hire her - she was an incredible listener and her ideas for our wedding were so beautiful! It was clear to us early on in the process that she really understood what we were looking for even though we had struggled to communicate it to florists and others. Ara was always available and met with us several times in person (including with several florists she had recommended) and many, many more times over e-mail and the phone. Our wedding was absolutely beautiful and we couldn't have been happier with how it turned out!! She designed and coordinated the general set-up, including flowers, menus, escort cards, table settings, cocktail area, party favors, etc. She worked with the florist and our venue directly to make sure everything was perfect. She was at our venue the day of the wedding and dealt with many little problems that arose because the day of our wedding was a terrible winter storm. After the wedding she even made sure we got a refund on a few items from outside vendors that didn't make it to the wedding because of the weather. She was truly amazing and made our wedding turn out even more stunning and romantic than I could ever have hoped for or imagined. We would recommend her to everyone who is thinking about using an event designer!"  -  Stephanie Mcleod

"Ara at Rock Paper Scissors was such a joy to work with, I couldn't recommend her services more highly! I gave her minor direction and then left it to her to create and wow, did she deliver! Our wedding was stunning, beyond what I could have imagined and the bouquets she created were so beautiful I cried when I couldn't take them home to Australia! My guests were blown away by the decor and have not stopped raving about it. Thanks again Ara for making our wedding so beautiful and easy!"  -  Jess Bath

"For my daughter's wedding, the bride selected an incredibly cool live show type of venue in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Ara and her team did the most incredible job of retaining the cool vibe, and yet made it warm and comfortable for guests from (literally) two to ninety-eight! We held the service in front of an exposed brick wall, with a beautify chuppa and very cool lighting. And then, magically the chairs disappeared and a dance floor and tables (decorated consistent with the cool Brooklyn vibe) appeared! We had over 300 people at this rocking event, and they are still raving!"  -   Gordon Keil

"Ara was the best investment we made in our wedding. We were nervous about hiring a stylist instead of a planner, but Ara's guidance was thorough enough that she made every part of the design/ decor easier. She was so calming when we were panicked and she totally understood our vision and translated it to real life. She managed our florist and rentals, worked closely with our venue and ensured that on the day of our wedding, everything looked perfect. I wish I could hire Ara in my day to day life! She makes everything prettier, more organized and more fun."  -  Hilary Sloan

"Ara was so helpful in executing my vision for my wedding. She is incredibly knowledgeable about wedding resources, has an impeccable eye, is responsive and professional, and worked within my budget. I honestly don't know how I would have done it without her. I cannot recommend her more highly."  -  Lauren Hoelzer

Ara and Alice were extremely professional, thoughtful and tastefully creative. They were indeed the smartest decision we made throughout the wedding process. Alice was able to create the elegant and whimsical vintage ambiance that we had hoped for. She precisely executed all of our ideas and added a magical touch of her own that made the wedding space truly breathtaking. Her calm demeanor in the midst of our hectic morning schedule was contagious, and her phenomenal taste is reflected in our wedding photos. We are forever grateful. -Liz and Phil Marmon-Halm